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Four Juveniles Facing Child Pornography Charges, Hillsborough Sheriff Says

Hillsborough Sheriff Car | Public Safety | Law Enforcement

An explicit video was sent to the victim’s fellow pupils at Burns Middle School on cell phones and social media, according to the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – Three 12 year olds and one 14 year old have been arrested and are facing child pornography-related charges, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.

The three 12 year olds are all from Valrico. One is charged with one count each of production of child pornography with a child younger than 18 and of transmission of child pornography. The other two are charged with one count each of transmission of child pornography. The 14 year old, who is from Brandon, is charged with one count each of promotion of child pornography with a child younger than 18, transmission of child pornography and possession of child pornography. All four have been booked into the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center, deputies said.

Deputies were contacted March 27 by the mother of a girl younger than 14. The mother told deputies her daughter was secretly recorded performing a sexual act and the explicit video was disseminated to fellow Burns Middle School pupils on cell phones and social media.

An investigation found that, about 5 p.m. March 18, the girl performed a sexual act on one of the 12 year olds inside an enclosed dressing room at the JC Penny’s at 331 Brandon Town Center. During the sex act, the boy recorded the encounter on his cell phone without the girl’s knowledge.

Between March 18 and March 26, deputies said, the boy transmitted the video to the 14 year old through a social media chat for the purpose of disseminating it through mass media. The 14 year old created an account on Instagram and posted the video. Deputies said the other two 12 year olds posted the video to their personal Instagram accounts. During the course of the investigation, deputies said they learned the 14 year old still had the video.

For information about the Hillsborough sheriff, go to hcso.tampa.fl.us.

Hillsborough Sheriff | Child Pornography | Crime | Arrests | Tampa Bay News | TB Reporter

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